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PLANADVISER's 2012 Top 100 Retirement Plan Advisers

Last year, we introduced the PLANADVISER Top 100 Advisers, a listing of the advisers and adviser teams competing for the annual PLANSPONSOR’s Retirement Plan Adviser and Adviser Team of the Year awards that stand out in terms of a series of quantitative measures.

By PLANSPONSOR staff | February 2012

Illustration by Cristian Turdera

In the pages that follow, we highlight the quantitative standouts, in terms of dollar value of qualified plan assets under advisement as well as number of plans under advisement, and we also draw attention to those who have a demonstrable presence, defined as having more than 15% of their practice focused on 403(b) plans, defined benefit plans, nonqualified plans, or 457 plans.

This year’s Top 100 comprises 40 advisers and 60 adviser teams, which represents the approximate ratio of adviser and team entries for the 2012 PLANSPONSOR’s Retirement Plan Adviser and Adviser Team of the Year awards.

Just how successful are these Top 100 Advisers? Collectively, the individual advisers represent about $33 billion in retirement plan assets (almost double last year), while the teams on the list collectively serve just shy of $150 billion in plan assets (a 30% increase over last year’s teams).

Among the specific product segments, 19 advisers or adviser teams say that 15% or more of their practice is focused on 403(b) plans, 29 have that kind of presence with defined benefit plans, six can make that claim with nonqualified programs, and just two say the same about 457 plans.

Skilled retirement plan advisers have been indispensable resources to their plan sponsor clients. Size isn’t everything, of course—but it is an objective measure of success, and one well worth acknowledging. —PA